Sinn Féin: We could give back €600-€2k to families

Sinn Féin has claimed it could give back between €600 and €2,000 to the average family if it was in control of the budget purse strings.

It said it would do this through pension hikes, public service pay cuts, high-earner taxes, and by abolishing property and water taxes.

The party outlined its fully costed alternative budget document as the Cabinet met to finalise the Coalition’s actual budget for Tuesday.

Under the Sinn Féin plan, property tax, water charges, and the removal of “approximately” 100,000 people from the universal social charge will see “average” families gain up to €2,000 a year.

An investment of €1.7bn in public expenditure will see more than 1,000 gardaí, 1,000 “frontline” health staff, and 1,700 teachers signed up to work in key services, while a €400m capital investment programme would also take place.

Speaking at the launch of the 43-page document, Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the party could save €341m if in government by reducing high-earner public sector workers’ pay and pensions (€15.28m), scrapping the water conservation grant (€130m), and “winding down” JobBridge (€7.9m), among other matters.

It would also increase pensions while abolishing the property tax (€440m), water charges (€210.5m), and removing workers earning €19,572 or less out of the USC (€93m).

Party president Gerry Adams stressed that all the figures have been “costed” by the Department of Finance.